Lenovo has unveiled its ThinkBook, opening a new category of mobile computing that offers users enterprise-level performance with the look and feel of a consumer device.
The new ThinkBooks target the SME market, an important sector in South Africa. The Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) reports there are about 2,25-million SMEs in South Africa. These companies employ about 14% of the South African workforce.
According to Lenovo’s EMEA region GM Thibault Dousson, about 60% of today’s workforce is made up of Generation Z and Millennials, and their relationship with technology is different from older workers.
“These workers do care about the look and feel of their technology.”
At the same time all businesses are concerned about issues like security, manageability and other features typically not available in consumer devices.
“This led to Lenovo creating a whole new category for the ThinkBook,” Dousson says. “These devices are high-spec but at the right price to appeal to buyers in this area.”
The ThinkBook range is designed for SMEs, who previously bought consumer laptops for perceived design and price advantages but can no longer rationalise their lack of extended services and warranties.
“With the capacity SMEs have to grow and upskill the country’s workforce, they are perfectly positioned to bridge the gap between the public sector and large enterprise,” Dousson adds.
“Bearing in mind the demands of the digital economy, this sector needs skills and resources in order to compete, and that is where devices such as the ThinkBook come in.”
The devices launched in South Africa yesterday are ThinkBook laptops in 12-inch, 14-inch and 15-inch variants.
The flagship ThinkBook 14 and ThinkBook 15 devices are powered by Windows 10 Pro and up to 10th Gen Intel Core processing, combining high performance with intuitive, time-saving features. Options include Intel Optane memory, WiFi 6, and discrete graphics.
The ThinkBook 15 comes at 18,9mm thin, while the ThinkBook 14 is a 17,9mm . With FHD displays and two Dolby Audio speakers, users have full visibility and clarity when working. Dual-array, Skype certified microphones are included, along with a USB 3.1 (Gen2, Type-C) port.
The ThinkBook S series includes the 13,3-inch ThinkBook 13s, constructed with a metallic finish on an all-aluminium chassis, alongside a narrow bezel display.
The ThinkBook 13s also features advanced Intel processing and an FHD display, Dolby Vision and Harman speakers with Dolby Audio.
ThinkBook laptops can lay flat at 180°, and feature ultra-narrow bezels. They also incorporate business features like single-step authentication and power-on with the touch fingerprint reader, in addition to a physical ThinkShutter camera cover for privacy control.
The ThinkBook 13s is priced from R14 999, the ThinkBook 14 starts at R16 299, and the ThinkBook 15 costs from R12 499.